What Is Dubai Watch Week And Why Should We Go?
The second edition of Dubai Watch Week opened yesterday November 15 and it is fantastic! Organized at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and The Dubai Mall by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, this global annual non-commercial event was created in 2015 to bring the watch industry to the public, highlighting craftsmanship and innovations. In a short time it has become so much more, and is already recognized as a meeting point for collectors, brands, watchmakers and journalists from all over the world.
Brands participating this week are enough to make any wrist tingle with delight: A. Lange & Söhne, Akrivia, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Bovet, Breitling, Bulgari, Chopard, Christiaan van der Klaauw, Corum, De Grisogono, Emmanuel Bouchet, F.P. Journe, Ferdinand Berthoud, Greubel Forsey, H.Moser & Cie., Hublot, HYT, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, MB&F, MCT, Montblanc, Moritz Grossmann, Panerai, Richard Mille , Romain Gauthier, Romain Jéröme, Tag Heuer and Vacheron Constantin are all here. And in addition to presenting their latest collections, many of the brands are unveiling new timepieces through a series of “Creative Hubs” programmed throughout the week. Yesterday Greubel Forsey displayed the new platinum version of “24 Seconds Vision”
while the Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps presented the new VANTABLOCK; each of the 10 limited edition pieces are signed by British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor. This morning, we witnessed the unveiling of the “Venturer XL Concept Dubai Edition – An Ode to Blue and White” — H. Möser & Cie.’s first limited edition designed specifically for Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, and a new 42 mm Perpetual Calendar with a harmonious dial and beautiful moon phase at 6 o’clock in 18K gold by Baume & Mercier.
Only 30 pieces will be produced each year, and the first ones in the world are on sale now at The Dubai Mall. More launches are planned on a daily basis.
Complementing the brand exhibitions and presentations, a non-stop series of workshops, master classes, and forums have been organized. Themes entitled “It’s Complicated”, “Challenges of a Retailer”, “Digital Curators”, or “What Makes the Value of a Watch” (and many more) are discussed and debated by experts and aficionados throughout the week. And as an additional treat, the winning watches of the 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) are on display at the Ayyam Gallery, the first stop on a world tour. These, along with the “Horological Movements” exhibition focusing on movements and complications, are all at the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Meanwhile, at The Dubai Mall, visitors can admire over 100 museum pieces on display in the Grand Atrium with “The Mastery of Time” exhibition curated by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) presenting significant timepieces through the ages from a historical or scientific point of view. Also to be seen is the “24 Hours in the Life a Swiss Cuckoo Clock” exhibition.
Why Dubai and Why Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons?
The United Arab Emirates is among the top 10 Swiss watch importers in the world, with Dubai one of the most important watch markets in the Middle East. Many collectors are between the ages of 20 and 30, are knowledgeable and growing, and for many brands the region represents 10 to 15% of their world sales. Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons was founded in 1950, recognized today as a pioneer among the leading retailers in the region.
Family owned and run, the company represents more than 60 luxury timepiece brands with 65 locations in the UAE, and is the only retailer in the Middle East to offer specialist after-sales service for luxury watches and jewellery. The family’s passion for the watchmaking industry has evolved into the will to share its expertise with the public, not just from Dubai, but from all over the region, and the world. Cherry on the cake, Dubai is exciting and the weather is great at this time of the year!
Dubai Watch Week
From Nov 15th – November 19th. Further information is available at www.dubaiwatchweek.com
